All things books, all the time

Saturday Selects: The beauty of country music

For all you newcomers, and there are A LOT of you, Saturday Selects is a series of posts I write the first Saturday of each month in which I discuss something other than books. This will be my fourth in the series.

I have to be honest with you guys. I sat here at my computer with my blogging playlist playing away and I couldn’t come up with anything I thought was worthy of a post. I’m talking over an hour I did this. I even smacked my head against the armrest of my chair once or twice. But I ultimately decided on country music because, duh it’s amazing, and also because Blake Shelton is tweeting EVERYONE right now. It’s one in the morning here. So let’s get into it.

Before I begin, I’d first like to let you know that I am OBSESSED with country music. I’m not exaggerating one bit. Let me tell you how I first got into the genre because I don’t think I’ve mentioned it on here before. And if I have, well I still like the story. So let’s rewind back to the end of 2009. I was in the midst of my senior year of high school. And I met this girl. I won’t tell you anything about her except that she loved country music. Maybe not as much as I do now, but she listened to it far more than anything else. Anyway, my birthday comes at the end of the year and us both being in high school, well a real birthday present was all but out of the question. So she gave me a nice handwritten letter. A pack of gum. A candy cane (for Christmas). A picture of her with her snowman, it had snowed in Houston for the first time in years! AND a list of country songs for me to download and listen to. Let me tell you, this is still the best birthday present I’ve ever gotten. All of those seemingly meaningless things. I STILL have the list she gave me, the picture, and the letter. Don’t ask me why because you can likely assume the correct answer to your own question. It took me a few weeks, but I finally downloaded the songs, it was 18 in total, and put them on a CD and played them in my car. Over and over and over again. That’s how I fell in love with the genre, by listening to a few random country songs on repeat.

I haven’t spoken to you in years, Desirae, but I thank you for introducing me to country music.

Now let’s talk about what makes the genre so great. First, and I know you’ve probably heard this before, EVERY song tells a story. Every single one. I’ve heard songs about suicide and breakups and abuse and partying and having children and everything in the middle. Tell me, have you heard a pop song recently that talks about children? I haven’t. But I also don’t listen to the genre too often. Or what about losing someone close to you? I’m sure there are songs out there in other genres, but you ALWAYS get great stories by way of country music. Always.

I mean, it simply does not get any better than a country love song. It doesn’t. Pop “ballads” are rarely ballads. But I’m not only talking pop, though. Hip-hop, um no. R&B, huh? Rock, does it even exist? I’m not here saying that other genres don’t produce some good music, I’m saying there’s far more to a song than how much radio airplay and downloads it gets. I’m actually a fan of Bruno Mars.

Lastly, one of the major knocks on country music today is that it’s gone so far into the direction of pop. Shut up. Right now, without utilizing the internet, can you tell me just five country singers you consider to be pop country? Just five. Of course I can, but can you? Leaving out Taylor Swift. If you can’t then you’ve just made my point for me. Country music has simply evolved. It doesn’t sound the same as it did 10, 15, or 20 years ago. But if it’s gone pop, then how has George Strait managed to stay relevant over the course of three decades? Or Reba? Or any of the other artists who have been around since long before some of the newcomers were even born. So don’t tell me country music has gone pop, because it hasn’t.

Mostly because the books I’m writing for middle grade is called The Phantom Apprentice. Ergo… Phantom writer. But that name was already taken, so I put 143 at the end. It’s a code between my friends and I that means “I love you.” I thought it was fitting. I’m sure I could have come up with a much better name, but I was impatient to get my blog up and running. I still can’t think of a better name yet.

Writing about MY writing is boring. No one would even read it. I don’t like reading other blogs where they give constant update after update on their writing. 1200 words today. 2000 words later. Then 10000 for the week! That’s annoying. Or maybe I’m bitter.

Probably not bitter. Just frustrated that you’re not writing like you want to. Especially since it’s taking longer than your first book. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You could just be internalizing things more before you get them on the page. If it makes you feel any better, you’re writing way more than I am at this point.

My first book is done. I’m working on number two in the series, and I’m tinkering with about five other stories as well. And then there are about a dozen more that I keep writing notes in, but don’t have time to sit down and write.

Book one is 105,000 words, which is 381 pages double spaced in Word. That’s whittled down from about 130,000, so the books are kind of long.

But think about it! An agent or publisher won’t come near a manuscript less than like 80,000 words. You’re talking 50% more than I’ve ever written. I’m scared. At least that’s what I hear for my genre. Ugh.

Based on what I’ve read so far of your book, I think there is some room for addition. Nothing crazy, just little bits here and there. And those bits add up. If your second book is shaping up like your first, you have nowhere to go but up!

Well, it’s to your credit that I’m finishing it so soon. I’m a speed reader, but if I don’t like a book, I put it down and never pick it back up. It took me a whole year to read the first Twilight book (yuck) because it was just ridiculous and I kept rolling my eyes at it.

No, I’m not comparing you to Stephenie Meyer. I’m just saying, the fact that I’m finishing it in only a couple days is good news. So buck up, dude!!

I wasn’t yelling. That’s what’s hard about communication via the internet. You can’t read into tone. Though I suppose talking in caps kind of makes things confusing.

I’m a bit of a Sally Sunshine, so I’m fairly encouraging with most people. (Not that you’re not unique). It’s just my personality. I’m here to act as the antithesis to all the Debbie Downers of the world.

I was raised on Johnny Cash. Sunday Morning Coming Down, written by the brilliant Kris Kristofferson, is easily one of the saddest and most beautiful songs ever written. When Johnny sings it you are given a window into alcoholism, loneliness, and regret, that is profound. Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. (though a bit nutty) are also among my favourites. I think good writing transcends the genre be it music or literature or any form of art.

I’m originally from Bristol, TN, which is officially “The Birthplace of Country Music”. My kids were raised there until we moved to Texas last year. So I was surprised when my daughter left voice lessons last week and said, “Mom, do you know how country music got started?” I thought maybe her teacher knew about Bristol’s claim to fame. Instead, my daughter answered, “It started out by people singing bad, and eventually people learned to pronounce their vowels correctly.”
Nooooo! I quickly set my daughter straight, but haven’t mentioned it to her teacher. I don’t think it really matters since my daughter is learning to sing an Imagine Dragons song.
Also, I’d like to put in a plug for Scott Miller and the Commonwealth. He has written some great story songs. My favorites are “The Rain” and “Loving that Girl”, but not limited to those. And, no, I don’t work for him. Ha!